US plans new tariffs on BD, 59 others

The United States has proposed imposing additional tariffs on imports from Bangladesh and 59 other economies after concluding that they have failed to adequately prohibit and enforce restrictions on goods produced with forced labour, a move that could have significant implications for global trade.

The decision was announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) following investigations conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. 

The USTR determined that the acts, policies and practices of 60 economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on the importation of goods produced with forced labour are unreasonable and burden or restrict To support its findings, the USTR prepared a report titled *Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure to Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor*.

Announcing the findings, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer said the failure of major trading partners to address imports linked to forced labour was unacceptable and created unfair competition for American workers.

"The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field," Greer said.

He acknowledged that some trading partners had taken initial steps to address the issue through trade agreements and other commitments, but stressed that more action was needed to ensure international trade does not encourage or sustain forced labour practices.

As part of the proposed measures, the US Trade Representative has recommended additional duties on products from all investigated economies, except for products listed in Annex A of a Federal Register notice.

Economies that have already imposed a forced-labour import prohibition, committed to implementing such measures through trade agreements, or established partial systems to prevent the importation of certain forced-labour goods would face an additional tariff of 10 per cent. All other economies would be subject to an additional duty of 12.5 per cent.

The USTR has also proposed a textile mechanism that would allow a specified volume of apparel and textile imports from certain economies to enter the United States at a reduced Section 301 tariff rate.

The investigations were launched on 12 March 2026. According to the USTR, nearly 60 witnesses provided testimony during the review process, while around 500 written comments and rebuttal submissions were received.

Bangladesh was included among 54 economies that the USTR said had failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on imports produced with forced labour. Six other economies - Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan - were found to have failed to effectively enforce existing prohibitions.